A Chemical and Morpho-Anatomical Study of Aerva javanica from Punjab, Pakistan

Khizir Abbas Abbas, Hadia Awais Awais, Mehak Sattar, Hassan Iqbal, Rabia Batool, Zakir Iqbal, Muhammad Uzair, Ali Raza Kashif, Mukhtar Hassan, Muhammad Furqan, Kashif Khan, Maryam Gulzar

Abstract


Aerva javanica is a species of Amaranthaceae family that mostly grows in deserts. It is used as fodder and fuel, and to treat headache, toothache and many other disorders by many indigenous communities across the country. The fresh samples (roots, stem and leaves) of A. javanica were collected from six different ecological habitats of Taunsa Sharif, Dera Ghazi Khan to investigate their anatomical characters. Small 3 cm pieces were cut treated with formalin acetic acid solution, after 48 hours the samples were preserved in acetic alcohol solution for long time. Free hand sectioning was done followed by double staining of safranin and fast green stains. Photographs were taken to analyze various anatomical parameters and permanent slides were prepared to study latter. The rhizospheric soil and water samples were also collected to analyze their physiochemical parameters and correlated with the plant anatomy. Morpho-anatomical parameters of A. javanica, including root, stem, and leaf characteristics such as epidermis, cortex thickness, xylem area, vascular bundle area, and vascular stroma, were assessed. The data were presented to one-way ANOVA with the help of SPSS software, and the means were compared across the groups (plant anatomical traits to physiochemical traits to soil and water). Almost all the habitats possessed same chemical characteristics of soil and water. Similarly, all morphological parameters of roots, stems, and leaves of A. javanica were found within the standard range (p≥0.05). These results indicated that A. javanica is very specific to anatomical traits that revealed its ecological success in different ecological habitats with different physico-chemical characteristics of soil and water.


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